FEBRUARY 2013
JOE MAPHIS
TOM KEIFER
Reviewed!
W W W. G U I TA R P L AY E R . C O M
Ernie Ball Music Man The Game Changer
JOE PASS The high priest of jazz guitar discusses his technique, gear, influences, and more in this classic interview from 1976
-PLUS-
3 FREE SONG TRANSCRIPTIONS
1971
“MY PASSION FOR MUSIC CONTINUES TO DRIVE MY RELENTLESS QUEST FOR GREAT TONE.” - PATRICK QUILTER See the latest Quilter amp designs at quilterlabs.com 2012
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February 2013 · Volume 3, Number 2
contents
New Artist FeAture 08
Tom Keifer (From the current issue of GuitarPlayer)
From the vAult 14
Classic Joe Pass Interview In this cover story from 1976, the great Joe Pass talks about his technique, guitars, influ- ences, and how he overcame heroin addiction to become one of the finest jazz guitarists in modern history.
24
Joe Maphis (from the August 1981 issue of GP)
GeAr 32
Reviewed! Ernie Ball Music Man The Game Changer (From the current issue of GuitarPlayer)
oN the NewsstANd 36
GP February 2013 Table of Contents
lessoNs 38
10 Things You Gotta Do to Play Like Mick Taylor
Jesse Gress delves into the fiery, blues-based licks that Taylor used so masterfully during his years with both John Mayall and the Rolling Stones (from the Nov 2010 issue of GP)
sessioNs 52
The ever-popular TrueFire Lessons
trANscriptioNs 54 58 64
Joe Pass - Page 14
“Back Broke” Glen Hansard “Mad Love” Neon Trees “Tear Away” Drowning Pool
GUITAR PLAYER VAULT | February 2013 | 7
T HO MAS PET IL LO
artist feature ROCK
8 | February 2013 | GUITAR PLAYER VAULT
Cinderella Story ONCE UPON A TIME, TOM KEIFER STARTED RECORDING A SOLO ALBUM… BY M ATT B LAC KETT YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU GOT ’TIL IT’S GONE. Tom Keifer, the singer/guitarist/songwriter for melodic metal ’80s hitmakers Cinderella, wrote those words that became the title to his band’s 1988 hit. Unfortunately he also lived those words when he was diagnosed with a partial paralysis of one of his vocal cords—kind of a big deal for a lead singer. Keifer had to learn how to sing again, and managed to once again tour with Cinderella. He also managed to finally complete his debut solo album, The Way Life Goes [Merovee Records/ADA], although it wasn’t easy. The record was nearly a decade in the making, and it was never a done deal that it would see the light of day. “Obviously you can get full of self-doubt when working on something that long,” says Keifer, “so I’m really glad that people are responding to it so positively.” The response probably comes from the fact that the record features such vital, vibrant guitar tones and parts that are immediate and honest. They also have that cool, interlocking, layered quality that made so many classic rock albums so, well, classic. Keifer flat-out knows how to play vibey guitar parts with ungodly tone, and fans of the Stones, Zeppelin, Steve Marriott, and early Aerosmith should definitely take notice. And, although you wouldn’t wish hemorrhaging vocal cords on anyone, this guy is singing better than ever to complement his great 6-string parts. Keifer talked tons of guitar-y stuff from his home in Nashville.
GUITAR PLAYER VAULT | February 2013 | 9
artist feature keifer
Tom Keifer performs “AsK me YesTerdAY” in Boulder, Co on AugusT 8, 2012
What’s your philosophy on arranging guitar parts?
Guitar layering, with different colors and the interaction of counterpoint guitars, is a product of the era that I grew up in—the ’70s. I was really inspired by Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Ron Wood, and Mick Taylor. You listen to their records and you feel the presence of two different players left and right who are playing things that complement each other, instead of just a wall of barre chords, which I think is a little more one-dimensional. It certainly has its place—I’m not dissing that. I mean, there are times when I do that too. But I like that kind of back and forth between guitars. I grew up on bands like Skynyrd and the Eagles and Zeppelin. That kind of guitar playing is what I’ve always loved and it’s a natural thing for me. The opener, “solid ground,” has the cool
it into a really old Marshall cabinet with the brown grill cloth—it almost looks like burlap—with 20-watt Celestions. The left guitar was my sunburst ’59 Les Paul through the Super Lead, just straight in. The slide part was also my Les Paul, more than likely through the Super Lead too. That’s not a lot of gear for such varied tones.
I generally use the Super Lead or this blackface Fender Bassman—it’s a ’65 or something. I’ll switch between those two heads into that Marshall cab. The different tones are usually created by all the pickup positions you’ve got with a Les Paul and a Tele, the volume knob, and how hard it hits the front of the amp. I’ve got a lot of other oddball amps like a Gibson tweed tremolo and a ’59 Fender Twin for more specific tones that will contrast with the Marshall sound.
choppy part on the right side, then the chords
“in a different light” has some very interest-
that answer it on the left, then there’s a slide
ing transitions, going into the chorus and also
part, and more. Talk me through all that.
from the chorus chords back into the verse. plenty
The song is in dropped-D tuning, and I believe I used my 1950 Nocaster through a ’72 Marshall Super Lead on the right side, which is that chicken-pickin’ sound. I ran
of songwriting “rules” would say that you probably can’t bring chords like those together and yet, it works really well in that tune. What’s the trick to making changes like that work?
10 | February 2013 | GUITAR PLAYER VAULT
I know exactly the parts you’re talking about. My wife’s also a songwriter and she co-wrote a lot of these songs with me. “A Different Light” wasn’t one of those songs that came together in ten minutes. It was written over a period of time and during that time we went to a club here in Nashville to celebrate my 40th birthday. It was a club that played a bunch of cool old ’80s music, like Thomas Dolby’s “She Blinded Me with Science,” which is a brilliant track with amazing production. We noticed that a lot of those ’80s songs had really hard, cold key changes—no setup, no pivot chords, no nothing. That’s the thing that we left that club talking about, how that really contributed to the creativity of some of that pop stuff in the ’80s. “Different Light” was in a state where it seemed very linear and boring because it was all in one key. When we left there we said, “Let’s just try a crazy key change.” The verse changes are just E, A, and B, but then the chorus is in Bb. Going into the chorus is a little bit smoother because there’s the kind of David Bowie “Space Odyssey” guitar that provides some transition. But coming back down into the
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artist feature keifer verse is just cold. When we initially tried that we said, “Can we really do that?” But then we thought, “Yeah, it sounds cool— why not?” We tried a couple different keys. I remember experimenting going from D to C for the chorus and E to A for the chorus. We thought that Bb was the most powerful one. It’s dissonant but certainly a unique key change, especially coming back down into the verse. But I like when key changes are abrupt, because I think they’re more powerful, or they can be. Sometimes you can set up the perfect pivot chord or two—and you know it’s coming because you set it up—and that’s effective too, but there’s just nothing like a smack in the face. That’s how that one came about. It was very much on purpose. Honestly, it kind of saved or at least fixed a song that we were just sitting on. How did you do that David Bowie-style guitar transition going into the chorus?
That was done with a Transperformance automatic tuning system. I’ve got one of the prototypes—like one of the first four—and
I have it built into a black ’69 Les Paul Custom. I wanted the guitar part to ramp up and take the song to a whole different key. So I set a tremolo pedal with a very sharp edge so it was “bam-bam-bam-bam.” And then I had to hit the chord, hit the button on the Transperformance that changed the tuning on the guitar in real time, and get the tremolo perfectly in time and overdub that part in there. It took a few tries to get the perfect take that filled that hole in. Are you going to try to pull that off live?
No! There are probably a couple different ways I can do it. Lately I’ve been thinking about using a slide for the ramp up and the toggle switch on the Les Paul to get that stuttering sound. Do you have a favorite guitar solo on this record?
I don’t know that I would call it a solo because there are several guitars layered in there, but I like the weird, trippy middleeight part in “Fool’s Paradise.” There are Ebow parts that sound like cellos and slide guitar and other stuff. It’s like the solo of
12 | February 2013 | GUITAR PLAYER VAULT
the song, but it’s more of a guitar orchestration. All the parts culminate in this end crescendo. I like that section a lot. “Welcome to My Mind” has a solo that’s straight-up blazing. We used an octaver on it and it’s a unique sound. For a balls-out guitar solo, that’s probably my favorite on the whole record. The guitars on this album are classic sounding without being too retro or throwback. How can you display those classic rock influences but still sound current and vibrant?
It wasn’t easy. I didn’t want it too effected, because if you chase current processing or trends, it really timestamps the music to that era. I had a certain sound in mind, which was just raw and in your face. Hopefully we achieved it. It took so long to mix, sometimes I don’t know what it sounds like anymore. I went through about 17 engineers, and remixed it a dozen times. The bottom line is I think you always have to be true to your influences and to who you are, which I really tried to do on this record. g
classic interview
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GUITAR PLAYER VAULT | February 2013 | 15
classic interview
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classic interview
From the April 1976 issue of Guitar Player magazine
Joe Pass Plays “all the things you are” live.
GUITAR PLAYER VAULT | February 2013 | 17
classic interview
18 | February 2013 | GUITAR PLAYER VAULT
On Tour...
Paul Crook (Meatloaf ) plays GFS Pickups and GFS Pedals
David Foral (Dirty Heads) with his Xaviere XV-400 Ac oustic Bass
Earl Slick (David Bowie, New York Dolls) uses Slickstraps and plays GFS Pickups and Pedals. Joe Tomino and DP Holmes (Dub Trio, Matisyahu) use GFS Pedals and Cables.
r) uses wn (Trixte Steve Bro s GFS s and play ls Slickstrap da e P nd GFS Pickups a
www.
Miles Doughty and Kyle McDonald of Sligh tly Stoopid play GFS Footpedals and Cabl es.
Duddy B and David Foral (Dirty Heads) use GFS Pedals. Slickstraps and GFS Cables.
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classic interview
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classic interview
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classic interview
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GUITAR PLAYER VAULT | February 2013 | 25
classic interview
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classic interview
GUITAR PLAYER VAULT | February 2013 | 27
classic interview
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classic interview
From the August 1981 issue of Guitar Player magazine
Watch Joe Maphis doing soMe hot picking on a doubleneck Mosrite.
30 | February 2013 | GUITAR PLAYER VAULT
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gear reviewed!
Ernie Ball Music Man The Game Changer Te sTed By gi n o ro B a ir PickuP wiring Plays a major role in the tone of an electric guitar, but changing it can be very time consuming. Imagine if you could rewire your pickup configuration on the fly and have 35 different setups available instantly. That’s what The Game Changer offers. This revolutionary guitar has a completely analog signal path with custom DiMarzio pickups that can be electrically reconfigured based on presets that you create on your computer. Select and combine pickup coils in series or parallel with the other coils, and place any of them in or out of phase. There are hundreds of
thousands of possible combinations. The presets are downloaded—individually or in banks—via USB to the guitar where they are saved digitally. Once you unplug the guitar from the computer, you select the presets using the instrument’s cleverly arranged controls. There is no modeling or DSP used on this instrument. The Game Changer starts with an Ernie Ball Music Man Reflex guitar and is available in several configurations. The review unit was the HSH model with humbuckers in the neck and bridge positions and a single-coil in the middle. This model is
32 | February 2013 | GUITAR PLAYER VAULT
also available with a piezo bridge and tremolo, as is the dual-humbucker version of the guitar. The pickup designs are different in the HH and HSH models. The onboard controls are simple—a Tone pot, a Volume control, a 5-way selector, and a toggle switch. The Volume knob doubles as the Save knob, while the pushpull Tone control selects one of two preset banks (A and B). Each bank holds five pickup configurations, which you choose with the 5-way selector. The toggle switch steps through an additional 15 presets in bank Z. Guitars equipped with the piezo
The computerized switching system is housed within the control cavity.
The Volume knob handles the saving of presets and the Tone
Power is supplied by three AA batteries.
control selects between preset banks A and B.
MODEL
ErniE Ball Music Man ThE GaME chanGEr PricE
$2,275 (as tested) to $2,345 street,
conTacT
ernieball.com
Kudos
Easy to program and audition
depending on configuration
sounds. holds 35 presets. Prolevel build quality and sound. concErns
leaving the guitar plugged in drains the batteries.
S p E c i f i c at i O n S nuT WidTh
1.625"
nEcK
Maple
FrETBoard
Maple or rosewood, 25.5" scale
FrETs
22
TunErs
schaller M6-ind locking
Body
chambered basswood w/ mahogany tone block and
The Web App interface showing a Steve Morse preset that has coil 4 in series with coil 3 out-of-phase.
maple top BridGE
string-through-body, w/ optional tremolo and piezo versions
PicKuPs
custom diMarzio
conTrols
Volume, Tone, 5-way selector, Bank select toggle
i/o
stereo ¼" output; 8-pin din port (for Midi and more); usB port
FacTory sTrinGs
Ernie Ball rPs-10 slinky
WEiGhT
7 lbs
PoWEr
3 aa batteries; usB bus power
pickup get an additional volume control that serves as the pickup’s on/off switch when pressed. Each preset bank can be set to active or passive output, and you can split the piezo signal from the magnetic pickup output by using a Y cable with the TRS end plugged into the guitar. The piezo Volume knob can act as a blend control for the two outputs. In addition to the 1/4” output and
USB port, the guitar has an 8-pin MIDI port for sending or receiving MIDI program and control change messages. This allows you to reconfigure your entire performance setup—amp and effects—from the guitar, or use a MIDI pedal to change presets on the guitar itself. You have to choose whether the guitar sends or receives MIDI data; it won’t do both simultaneously. The Game Changer does not send
when programming BuilT
usa
GUITAR PLAYER VAULT | February 2013 | 33
gear reviewed! MIDI Note data, nor does it send audio over USB. The instrument would need a digital converter to do those tasks. The Game Changer is surprisingly easy to program. Plug the guitar into your computer using the supplied USB cable, launch your web browser, then go to the company’s web page and click on Web App. The app immediately determines which instrument you have and which presets are loaded. Now you can reconfigure the pickup coils using a graphical interface or browse the presets in the library. If your guitar is plugged into your amp, you will
hear the results immediately. Alternatively, you can use an Apple iPad with a MIDI adapter for auditioning pickup configurations offline. Loading sounds is done with a dragand-drop procedure, placing them in a specific bank and selector switch position. This is very helpful, because there’s no other way to tell what preset you’re currently using except by ear or by memorizing its physical position (bank A, B, or Z) on the guitar. But that’s a small price to pay for such a powerful, yet easy-touse system.
Ultimately, it all comes down to playability and sound, and The Game Changer gets top marks in both categories. The differences between the pickup configurations are clearly audible, and it’s surprising how even a minor change in the wiring makes a major sonic difference that can lead you into certain riffs and musical styles. Whether you spend most of your time onstage or in the studio, you’ll enjoy exploring all the sounds The Game Changer has to offer. It’s one of the most inspiring guitars you’ll ever play. g
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FEBRUARY 2013
Here’s what’s in the February 2013 issue of GP, on Newsstands Now!
RIFFS Kim Thayil on new Soundgarden, Peter Framtom on Frampton Comes Alive 35, Tom Edwards on his Adam Ant live rig, Editors’ Faves, and more!
New SectIoN! Now HeaR tHIS
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A N e w B Ay M e d i A P u B l i cAt i o N
Artists
aRtIStS
Charlie Hunter · California Guitar Trio · Jane Getter · Donald Fagen Guitarist Roundtable
LeSSoNS New Column! Under Investigation
A thorough examination of a particular style or player. This month: The Man … Jeff Beck.
K EN S ET T LE
New Column! Rhythm Workshop Jesse Gress teaches you how to craft cagey and masterful rhythm parts. 36
Quick Licks These licks are a quick way to quickly improve your playing.
G U I TA R P L A Y E R . C O M / F E b R U A R Y 2 0 1 3
Lessons
New Column! You’re Playing It Wrong We all think we know how to play classic riffs like the Stones’ “The Last Time.” Here’s the absolute real deal.
Under Investigation
Jeff Beck
GeaR
By J esse Gress
I can’t thInk of a better way to Inaugurate thIs
driver. For instance, Beck essentially stopped using a pick beginning in the late ’80s, and his bare-skinned, constantly changing attack brings out harmonic overtones that just don’t exist for most of us! In fact, Beck’s fingerstyle technique is so organically integrated that he often has three or four different things going on simultaneously—perhaps a volume-swelled microbend decorated with a dip of the whammy bar—which is precisely why we’ve placed him (play Gmaj7#5/E here) under investigation. There’s plenty more to uncover, so let the proceedings begin. M’Lords and Ladies, I ask the following: Does Jeff Beck’s guitar playing constitute a threat to the public at large? Isn’t this sort of thing dangerous? Should anyone
new investigative series than by spotlighting the world’s foremost master of the Stratocaster, Jeff Beck. Sir Beck continues to baffle us with the combination of impossibly beautiful and borderline evil sounds that has kept him poised at the top of guitarists’ most-wanted lists for nearly a half century. But what makes him so unique? Why does Jeff Beck sound so different from any other guitarist on the planet, and how does he keep getting better? Add a vintage, modern, or reissue Marshall or Fender amp—Beck used a beefed-up Fender Pro Junior paired with a Klon Centaur overdrive on his recent Rock ‘n’ Roll Party tour—plus a Snarling Dog Whine-OWah, and you’ve got the essentials covered. So if it’s not the vehicle, it must be the
It’s certainly not about his gear. While Beck has long been revered for killer tones, his chosen axes, amps, and effects have always been fairly Spartan. We’re talking Fender Telecasters and Gibson Les Pauls in the early days, and then Strats, Strats, and more Strats beginning circa 1972. Ex. 1a
Ex. 1b
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New Column! Speed Rating Four mini-reviews: Peavey Predator, Klotz cable, TFin switch tips, Tung-Sol EL34s
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New Column! Whack Job 1983 Gibson Corvus II
*Pre-bend from 5th fret.
88
New Column! Art’s Boutique Falbo Guitars Alpha Series Dreadnought and Parlor
G U I TA R P L A Y E R . C O M / F E b R U A R Y 2 0 1 3
Studio Tools Radial Workhorse
Gear
Art ’s Bou t iqu e
New Column! Esoterica Citron CF1 Falbo Guitars Alpha Series Dreadnought and Parlor By A rt thom pson DeB utin g As pA rt o f the new fourguitar Alpha Series from Falbo Guitars, the Dreadnought ($3,100 retail/street N/A) and Parlor ($2,950 retail/street N/A) are well made and nicely appointed instruments that are designed to go toe-to-toe with guitars from high-end makers here and abroad. Both
New Column! Mobile Music Making Input Options parlor
Dreadnought
New SectIoN! cHatteR Craig Anderton Sim Techniques
of these instruments feature solid rosewood backs and sides, Italian spruce tops, gloss finishes, and lots of fine detail work that shows up in everything from the gleaming frets to the tasteful cosmetics that include abalone inlays and rosette, wood and celluloid bindings, and custom tuners with gold etching on their backs. What you may not notice just by looking, however,
Ian Brennan Field Recording in Africa
MORE OnLInE
guitarplayer.com/february2013 > Frank Falbo demos his Intension bridge in the GP soundroom.
114
G U I TA R P L A Y E R . C O M / F E b R U A R Y 2 0 1 3
Carl Verheyen The Sinatra Tone Gary Brawer Catching a Buzz, Part 1
36 | February 2013 | GUITAR PLAYER VAULT
lessons ROCK
10
Things You Gotta Do to Play Like
MICK TAYLOR (ca. 1967 - 1974)
By J es s e Gr e ss
Photogr a Ph BY © M ICha EL PUtL a ND / r Et Na
Like
chapters
in
the
Brit-
blues Book of Genesis, there’s something almost biblical about those John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers albums recorded between 1965 and 1969. Both Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton and A Hard Road (featuring Peter Green) were oneshot masterpieces, but it was Green’s successor Mick Taylor who left behind the most plentiful legacy of the three, carrying on for a full five LPs before being tapped for duty as Brian Jones’ replacement in the Rolling Stones. And carry on he did. Taylor’s tone, touch, and masterful phrasing can be heard throughout Crusade and Diary of a Band: Vols. 1 & 2 (1967), Bare Wires (1968), and Blues from Laurel Canyon (1969), all recorded before he turned 20. In what appears to be a case of parallel development, Taylor shared many of the
same influences with his predecessors, but developed a striking and innovative style all his own. Taylor’s uncannily clean articulation, killer tone, and direct, understandable note choices made copping his licks easier than those of, say, Hendrix or Beck, which was a godsend for budding blues kids of the day. Taylor’s gear was simple for its time, but nearly unattainable in this day and age. During the Crusade and Diary of a Band years, he relied on a 1958 sunburst Gibson Les Paul (ironically acquired from Keith Richards!) pumped through a Marshall 50-watt head and speaker cabinets, reportedly a 4x12 in the studio and an 8x10 onstage. Sometime in 1969, Taylor began playing an early-60s, Bigsby-equipped Gibson SG Standard (paired with a Fender Twin Reverb during the Laurel Canyon tour), and a Fender Stratocaster. These three guitars,
38 | February 2013 | GUITAR PLAYER VAULT
plus a brown Gibson ES-345 and a 1954 Fender Telecaster also figured prominently into his five-and-a-half years as a Rolling Stone. Taylor first appeared on two tracks on 1969’s Let It Bleed before becoming Keith Richards’ full-time sparring partner for the next five Stones albums: the essential Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out (1969), Sticky Fingers (1970), and Exile On Main Street (1972), as well as Goats Head Soup (1973) and It’s Only Rock ‘N Roll (1974). As Jas Obrecht put it in GP’s February 1980 Taylor feature, “Most listeners agree that Taylor’s gifted lead playing elevated the band to a new level of musicianship.” Since leaving the Stones in late 1974, Taylor has enjoyed a long and successful solo career with artists as diverse as Carla Bley, Jack Bruce, and Bob Dylan,
GUITAR PLAYER VAULT | February 2013 | 39
lessons mick taylor but today we’re going back to where it all began. Want to hear what a Gibson ‘burst pumped through a blazing Marshall is supposed to sound like? Grab the five Mayall albums that feature Taylor and warm up those KT-66’s, or whatever you’ve got laying around. But first, you’ve gotta...
1
BE RE A D Y W HE N O P P O RT U NIT Y KNO C KS
Already well-steeped in the blues of B.B. King (whose Live at the Regal he cites as a favorite), Elmore James, and Freddie King among others, Mick Taylor got his first major break at 16 when he asked John Mayall if he could fill in on the second set Ex. 1a
= 142-148
Ex. 1b
3
)
( =
es in a standard 12-bar blues progression simply by playing the same riff five frets higher to cover each key’s IV chord (C in the key of G, Bb in the key of F, and Eb in the key of Bb), and seven frets higher for the V chords (D in the key of G, C in the key of F, and F in the key of Bb). (Tip: Try changing each quarter note in Ex. 1a to a pair of eighth notes.)
for a missing-in-action Eric Clapton during a Bluesbreakers gig in Taylor’s home town of Hatfield (playing E.C.’s 1958 Les Paul ‘burst and Marshall combo, no less!). Because he’d done his homework, Taylor was more than ready, willing, and able to hold down the fort and solo fluently over the bluesy rhythm figures in Mayall’s repertoire. After joining the band a year later Taylor continued grooving to single-note rhythm figures like the ones in Ex. 1a (found in Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Checkin’ Up on My Baby” and Freddie King’s “Driving Sideways,” both from Crusade), Ex. 1b (a la “Hartley Quits” from Bare Wires), and Ex. 1c (reminiscent of “The Bear” from Blues from Laurel Canyon). All three of these I-chord figures can easily be adapted to the other two chang-
Taylor’s fluidity with melodic string bends and slinky vibrato— both essential elements of blues guitar—was certainly on a par with that of Clapton and Green, but one technique he employed more often than his predecessors was Ex. 1c
3
)
( =
= ca. 126
2
GET TH E B ENDS
= ca. 92
B (I) 3 4 4 44 4 4 5 3 3 3 5 G(I)
3
T A B
1
3
1
3
1
5
3
F(I)
T A B
5
1
1
3
1
5
3
5
3
1
1
T A B
3 5
) ( ( ) () () ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (4) 2or3 4
2or3
B
T A B
4
3
B
(5) 5 (6)
3
B
(8) 8 (9)
7
4
5
5 (7)
4
4
3
B
8
4
3
B
8 (10)
8
9 (10)
Ex. 2b
4
3
B
12
12 (14)
B
15
15 (17)
Ex. 2c
= 92-120
= 92-120
A
A
4 4 () () () () ( ) 4 () 4 4
3
4
let ring - - - - - - - - - - - -
1
3
hold B - - - - - - - - - - - - - -R
T A B
4
(6)
5
5
(6) 4 2
4
2
40 | February 2013 | GUITAR PLAYER VAULT
3
4
1
hold B-------
T A B
1
3
4
5
1
3
4
5
oblique bending, where a single note is bent while one or more notes sounded at the same time remain stationary. The effect can be sweet and country-ish, or mean and snarly, depending on note choices and harmonic environment. Ex. 2a shows seven Taylor-made oblique, whole-step bends designed to fit A, A7, A9, and A7#9, or Am and Am7. (You’ll be seeing a lot of these puppies.) To determine which bends fit which chords, play a suggested chord followed by each two- or three-note grouping
Ex. 2a
(4) 4
1
2
hold B-------
12 12 12 (14) (14) 12 (14) (14) 10
lessons Ex. 3a
Ex. 3b
3
( = )
= ca. 148
3
( = )
= ca. 148
G(I) G7(I) 4 () ( ) ( ) ( ) 4 ( ) 4 4 G7 9
4 2or3 4
T A B
Ex. 3c
1 2
B
B
6 6 (7)
5
6 6 (7)
5
B
5
B
6 6 (7)
5
6 6 (7)
3
3
1
1
3
B
3 4
T A B
B1/4
(7) 3 5
5
3 (3)
5
1
( = )
3 4
5
3 5
() () 4 () () () () () 4 3 C7(IV)
3
1
hold B-----
11
T A B
G7(I)
3
let ring - -
hold B---------R
(13)(13)11 (13) (13) (13)11 8 10
Ex. 3d
4
3
2
8
9
10
8
hold B-----
10
10(12)
10(12)
8
3
= ca.148 ( = )
D7(V)
G7(I)
4 () () ( ) ( ) ( ) 4 3
3
B
18
T A B
B
(20)18 (20)
B
18
(20)
1
3
1
3
3
15
1
1
4
3
18 15
B
15 17 (19)
15
18 15
Ex. 4a
1
3
3
B
17
B1/4
(19)17 15 17 15
F7 9
= ca. 126
4 () 4 ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Organ:
3
T A B
3
2nd time - - - - - - -
3
3
hold B-----------------
4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 (5) (5) (5) (5) (5) (5)
B
3
4 4 (5)
let ring - hold B------
3
(5)
4
sim.
1st time - - - - - - - - -
B
4
3
(5)
1
4
3
3
= ca. 148
3
3
B1/4
3 6 3
5 3
5 3 5
B1/4
3 (3)
and observe how they react to each other both aurally and visually. Once you’ve got all seven moves under your fingers, you can break each bent, oblique harmonic interval into a two- or three-note melodic pattern by arpeggiating the notes in ascending or descending order—just hold those bends and let ’em ring. Got it? Now play ’em in all keys. The signature Taylor licks in Examples 2b and 2c will help you understand how to incorporate oblique bends into your own solos. (Tip: For cool variations, try replacing the high A in Ex. 2b with F# three frets lower, or playing both licks three frets higher over Am7 or A7#9.)
3
ADOPT A SIGNATURE FREDDIE KING TUNE
As if dictated by tradition, each guitarist in Mayall’s royal trinity chose a Freddie King shuffle as his instrumental showcase— Clapton had “Hideaway,” Green picked “The Stumble,” and Taylor tore up “Driving Sideways” (Crusade). Ex. 3a reveals how the song kicks off with an oblique, triple-note bend straight out of Ex. 2a, followed by a two-bar bass break (not notated). We’re in the third position G blues box as Taylor commences the head with the fluid I-chord runs in Ex. 3b. Precede Ex. 3c with beat one of bar 1 repeated four times and you’ll have a complete IV-I lick that perfectly complements bars 5-7 in a 12-bar blues progression, though I should point out that “Driving Sideways,” like other King shuffles, also contains an 8-bar, IV-IV-I-I-IV-IV-II-V bridge and other deviations from a standard 12-bar blues. Finally, the upper-register, Vto-I-chord riffing in Ex. 3d is a testimonial to Taylor’s cleanliness. I’ll let you in on a
GUITAR PLAYER VAULT | February 2013 | 41
lessons mick taylor Ex. 4b
= ca. 126
( =
little transcriber’s secret: we look for openstring “bonks,” or unintended open-string pull-offs, which are generally quite common and help us verify tuning, key, etc., but Taylor’s meticulous playing offers no such clues. I couldn’t find a single one!
3
) F(I)
44 1
2
1
3
4 4
1
3
T A B
1
1 1
1
1
2
3
3
3
1 3
2
3
3
1
1 3
1
1 3
2
4 4
3 3
1
Ex. 4c
1
1
1 3
2
Ex. 4d 3
= ca. 126 ( = )
3
= ca. 126 ( = )
F(I) 4 4 4 4 3 3
C(V) 1
2
m m let ring - - - - - - - - - - -
T A B
8
9
Ex. 4e
( =
= ca. 126
9
B (IV)
1
8
9
1
2
m l.r.- - - - -
etc. l.r.- - - - - - - - - - -
7
7
6
6
3
2
etc. m let ring - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
7
3
T A B
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
3
) F7(I)
() () 4 () 3 () 4 3 3 3
1
3
B
T A B
1
3 (5)
1
4
4
1
3
1
B
4 1
3 1
3
1/4
3
3
3
2
B
3
3
C O -W RIT E A KIL L E R IN S T RU ME NT A L
(5)
3
1
1
3
B
3 1 1
3
(5)
1
1
4 1
B
3
(5)
R
3 1
B1/4
3
3 1
B1/4
3
1 (1)
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Ex. 5a
3
3
3
B
T A B
9
(12)
B
7
(10)
B
10
(13)
42 | February 2013 | GUITAR PLAYER VAULT
B
10
(14)
3
3
3
3
B
13
(16)
B
13
3
the second chorus. Play it twice as written, and then once transposed to the sixth position to cover the IV chord (Bb) before returning to a single pass at Ex. 4b’s I-chord line. (Tip: The saxes stay on the I-chord line while the guitar plays the IV-chord figure. Try this with another guitarist.) Follow up by playing the sliding sixth intervals in Ex. 4c (another Taylor trademark) once as written, and then again two frets lower to cover the V chord (C). Tag on Ex. 4d’s broken sixths to return to the I chord and you’ve nailed the
plays call-and-response with the rhythm section. For the third round (bar 2), Taylor arpeggiates each triple-stop for a bar-and-ahalf before he winds up by holding and vibrating the bend for the last two beats. Here, Taylor shifts to two bars of the single-note rhythm figure we learned in Ex. 1b transposed to Bb, the IV chord, and then continues transposing the same figure to F and C to cover the remainder of the 12-bar blues progression. Ex. 4b recreates the ensemble guitar-and-sax, I-chord figure that begins
When Taylor co-penned “Hartley Quits,” his intro showcase from Bare Wires, he dipped back into the Freddie King book for inspiration. The first bar of Ex. 4a illustrates how Taylor adapted the opening oblique bends from “Driving Sideways” (albeit in F) to an eighth-note-triplet-based intro figure that
3
(17)
B
17(20)
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lessons mick taylor
5
entire 12-bar figure. Ex. 4e gives you a taste of Taylor’s sublime solo entrance. Study his phrasing carefully—it’s small details like the rhythmic/melodic bends in the pickup and into bar 2, and those sweet-’n’-sour microtonal bends that separate Taylor from the pack.
Ex. 5b
BEND IT TO THE LIMIT
on his Fender Strat a whopping perfect fourth, or two-and-a-half steps, during his outro solo on “Fly Tomorrow” [Blues from Laurel Canyon]. Yow!). Ex. 5a shows seven one-and-a-half- and two-step bends that cover stretches to almost every note of the A blues scale, plus its 3 (C#). Absent is its 4 (D), which is normally achieved by bending
Fact: Several solos Taylor recorded with John Mayall feature some of the widest and wildest string stretches this side of Albert King. (Check out how Taylor bends the G string
= ca. 90 D7 9(I)
A7(V)
G7(IV)
D7(I)
() ( ) () () 4 () ( ) () 4 3
1
10(14)
3
let ring hold B - - - - - - - - - - - -R
10
7 10 7
D7 9(I)
Ex. 5c
= ca. 90
4
7
7 9
1
1
grad. R
B
T A B
3
3
1
1
9
(11)
7
10
(11) 9
7
hold B------
7 9
7
10(12)
( ) 4 (( )) ( ) 4 T A B
3
1
3
1
pre- grad. B R
(19) 16 12 (16) 14
10
1
1
3
B1/4
10(10) 12
3
pre- grad. B R
B1/4
(17) 14 10 12 10(10) (14) 12 12
hold B------R
(12) 10(12) (12) 10 7 9
etc.
9
7 9
7
the 3 (C#) or b3 (C) up a half-step or wholestep respectively. Moving to the key of D, Ex. 5b depicts Taylor’s tasteful use of a two-step bend and gradual release (bar 1) meshed with a variation of the oblique bend from Ex. 2b (bar 2) and combinations of legato and staccato phrasing (bar 3) over a I-V-IV-I progression derived from bars 8-11 of a 12-bar blues. The real finger killer is Ex. 5c, a pair
G7(IV)
Play four 3 times 1
3
(E ) E 7 9 (E ) E 7 9 (E ) E 7 9 () () () 4 4 Ex. 6a
= ca. 86 (E )
E 7 9(I)
N.C.
Organ:
1
1
3
3
grad. B
T A B
grad. B
11 (15)
13
13
(15)
11
3
1
B1/4
13
11
11
B1/4
(11)
4
A 7(IV)
3
2
(A )
1
3
G /A (IV)
1
3
B1/4
T A B
11(11) 13 12 13
B
11 13
11 10 10
44 | February 2013 | GUITAR PLAYER VAULT
13
R
(15) 13 11
13 13
*preB R
11 13(15) 13 11
(E ) E 7 9 ()
(A )
B1/4
11
etc.
3
13
*pre-bend from 13th fret.
lessons
E 7(IV) B 7 ( ) () () ( ) 4 () ()() () 4 3 Ex. 6b
= ca. 92
B (I)
1
3
3
F7(V)
2
B
T A B
8
6
8
B 7
B
(10) 8 (10)(10)
preB----
8
(10) 8 6 8
B1/4 B1/4
6
6
12
11
4
3
1
12
11
3
let ring *prehold B------------------- B R
13 13 13 13 13 13 13
13(15)
1
etc.
(14)13 11 13 11
B1/4
12
11
B
B
13(16)13(15)11
*pre-bend from 13th fret.
of extremely manly, two-note, graduallyreleased pre-bends played over the I and IV chords in D. Prepare the first bend in bar 1 by fingering the released fifth interval (the last sixteenth of beat two) and pre-bending the G string one-and-a-half steps and the D string one whole step. Hit both pre-bends on beat two and slowly release them over the duration of the beat. (Tip: Try “raking” the notes of each fifth interval low-to-high.) Follow up with the single-note lick on beats three and four, and then move the pre-bent fifth down a whole step and follow suit to cover the IV
them with impeccable taste, Taylor always took the time to develop his solos gradually and thematically. Ex. 6a, inspired by the first six bars of Taylor’s “Long Gone Midnight” solo in Eb (Blues from Laurel Canyon), proves the point with its sparse phrasing and motific development, all built around Mayall’s equally spartan I7#9-IV comping. (Check out Mayall’s sophisticated use of Gb/Ab, or Ab11, for the IV chord in bar 6, and Taylor’s Beck-ish run over the same.) Ex. 6b showcases Taylor’s funkier side by paraphrasing a few bars from his opening solo in “The Bear” in Bb (Blues from Laurel Canyon). Highlights include Taylor’s funky, staccato phrasing throughout, the differentiation between grace-note and sixteenthnote bends in bar 1, the oblique bend in bar 3, where the whole-step bend is held for two beats over the I chord, and then reduced by a half step on beat three to coincide with the IV chord (D is the b7 of Eb7) just before its release, and the decreasing one-and-a-half-to-one-step bends in the partial final bar. It all takes place over a IV-I-IV-I progression in Bb. (Tip: Use the single-note rhythm figure from Ex. 1c as an accompaniment.)
chord (G7) in bar 2. Accuracy comes with practice, so have at it!
6
TAKE YOU R TI M E
Many of his peers seemed to chomp at the bit when it came time to solo, but Taylor’s Bluesbreakers-era improvisations were anything but rushed. As a young man endowed with a wealth of musical ideas and an uncanny knack for spontaneously rearranging
Ex. 7a
= ca. 112
Open-G tuning (D,G,D,G,B,D)
4 ( ) ( ) 4 A(I)
Lap steel
w/slide throughout
D B G T D A G B D
13
let ring -
14
l.r. - - - -
14
13 14
14
13 14
l.r. - - - - - - - - - - -
3
l.r. - - - -
14 12 14 (14) (12) 12 14
14
Ex. 7b
= ca. 112
Open-G tuning (D,G,D,G,B,D)
E7(V)
D7(IV)
A(I)
14
4 4 Lap steel
3
w/slide throughout
D B G T D A G B D
14
11
12
13 14 14
etc.
13
13
14
13
14 12
12
14
14
14
14
GUITAR PLAYER VAULT | February 2013 | 45
lessons mick taylor
7
L A P IT U P
Ex. 8a
= ca. 114
An early example of Taylor’s equally formidable slide guitar skills can be heard on Mayall’s “2401” (Blues from Laurel Canyon), a medium-tempo 12-bar in A, which was performed in open-G tuning on the same budget-model Selmer Hawaiian lap steel he would soon use on the Rolling Stones’ “Country Honk” (Let It Bleed). Examples 7a and 7b foreshadow Taylor’s stellar slide work on Stones’ classics like their cover of Robert Johnson’s “Love In Vain” from Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out. Transpose the Ex. 7a to the seventh position to cover the IV chord (D), drop Ex. 7b into bars 9-11, and you’ve got all the necessary ingredients for a great 12-bar slide solo. Though this song was played lap-style, Taylor typically stands and wears a metal slide on his pinky to accommodate non-slide playing with the other three fingers. He favors standard, open-G, and open-E tunings.
G
() () () () 4 4
4
( )
3
1
let ring - - - - - - - - - - - - - - hold B - - - - - - - - - - - - - -R
15
15(17)
T A B
1
3
l.r. - - - - - - l.r. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - hold B----
(17) 15 12
14(16)
15
hold B - - - - - - - - - - - - - -R
14(16)
12
15
(16) 14 12
12
14
Ex. 8b
= ca. 120
G (1st time) D (2nd time)
G
() () () () ( ) 4 () 4 2nd time - - - - - - - - -
1
3
let ring
(16)
14
T A B
8
Ex. 9
1
1
1st time - - - - - - - - - -
hold B - - - - - - - - - - - - - -R
12
3
4
B
(16) 14
15
14
R
(16) 14
B
12
13
P LAY WELL WI TH OTHER S
R
(15) 13 10
4
3
B
14(16)
15
1
B
R
14(16)
14
12
3
14
12 12
certainly ready for the gig. Inducted as a full-fleged Rolling Stone on June 13, 1969, Taylor brought to the group not only an impeccable blues pedigree, but also a certain degree of country-fication that totally jived with Keith Richards’ roots-y rock-and-roll style. Though he appeared (almost imperceptibly) on two tracks on Let It Bleed, Taylor’s first truly
Reiterating Thing #1, when the Stones decided to replace Brian Jones, Mick Taylor, fresh from three years of touring and recording with Mayall and playing at the top of his game, was
= ca. 136
1
4
3
(A) N.C.
4 4 3 3
1
3
1
1 1
7
5
7
Ex. 10a
= ca. 75
1 1
5 7
5 5
7
5
7
7
5
7
5
7 7
5 5
7
5
7
7
5
7 7
5 5
5
BITCH Words and Music by MICK JAGGER and KEITH RICHARDS © 1971 (Renewed) ABKCO MUSIC, INC., 85 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003 Used by Permission of ALFRED MUSIC PUBLISHING CO., INC. All Rights Reserved
(D5) N.C.
C5
D/C
C
D7/C C
4 4 *Play six times
1 1
1 1
4 4
D B G T D A G B D
3 1
semi-P.M. - - - - - - - - - - - -
Open-G tuning (D,G,D,G,B,D)
4 4
3
3
semi-P.M. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
T A B
1 3
10 9 7 9 7 10 9 7 9 7 10 9 10 9
3
4
4 4 4
3 1
7 7 7 7 7 9 7 7
*Adlib sim. fill on repeats.
46 | February 2013 | GUITAR PLAYER VAULT
7 7 9 10 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
1 1
5 5
1 1 1
4 1 1 1
7 7 7 5 7 7 7 5 7 5 7 7 7 5 5 5
7
7 5
7
5
HONKY TONK WOMEN Words and Music by MICK JAGGER and KEITH RICHARDS © 1969 (Renewed) ABKCO MUSIC, INC., 85 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003 Used by Permission of ALFRED MUSIC PUBLISHING CO., INC. All Rights Reserved CAN’T YOU HEAR ME KNOCKING Words and Music by MICK JAGGER and KEITH RICHARDS © 1971 (Renewed) ABKCO MUSIC, INC., 85 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003 Used by Permission of ALFRED MUSIC PUBLISHING CO., INC. All Rights Reserved
lessons mick taylor sion to quit the band, and if you had to pick one must-know riff, it’d have to be “Bitch” (Sticky Fingers). Ex. 9 presents Taylor’s classic four-bar riff that’s part 3/8+3/8+2/8, rock-and-roll clave (bar 1) and part two-fingered, four-on-thefloor double-stop stomp (bar 2), embellished with a syncopated composite of the previous two measures in bar 3, and topped with hammered, Hendrix-style double stops in bar 4. Rock on, mates!
recognizable work with the Stones surfaced on 1969’s “Honky Tonk Woman,” where he provided sweet, pedal-steelstyle counterpoint to Richards’ open-G grunge. You’ll find a few familiar moves in Ex. 8a, which excerpts Taylor’s two-bar fill from the Ya-Ya’s version at the end of the chorus preceding Keef’s solo. Ex. 8b comes from the ending of the studio version (Through the Past Darkly and Forty Licks), where Taylor decorates the song’s final I-V-I cadence (G-D-G) with another melodic, steely counterline. You know that saying, “They’ll always remember what you play last”? It’s true!
9
10
BE A RHY T HM K ING
Though he was primarily the Stones’ lead guitarist, Mick Taylor’s rhythm guitar figures were responsible for driving many a Stones tune between 1970 and December 12, 1974, when he announced his deci-
S T RETCH OU T
According to Taylor, the beloved outro jam on the Keith Richards classic “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” (Sticky Fingers) happened because he spurred the rest of group to pick up the instruments they’d already put down and keep playing. One of
Ex. 10b
= ca. 75
his favorite Stones tracks, Taylor still performs the song to date, so I’ve included as a bonus in Ex. 10a Keef’s open-G rhythm figure and cooler-than-cool, two-fingered C Lydian moves. Add a completely open G chord and you’re good to go. You’ll catch excerpts of Taylor’s standard-tuned ES-345 outro solo, which begins with the sparse but exploratory D-minor riffing in Examples 10b and 10c, everywhere from satellite radio to the Weather Channel’s Local-OnThe-8’s. As the jam progresses, Taylor gets busier with repeated motifs like the one sandwiched in the middle of Ex. 10d (notated in 2/4 to conserve space) before leading the way home with Ex. 10e’s now-familiar “Honky Tonk”-style pickup recast in D minor and used to preface a repetitive rhythmic groove that eventually evolves into the song’s closing riff. Besides exemplifying the kind of groove-oriented playing that characterized much of Taylor’s remaining work with the group, this jam also hints at the jazz-rock direction of Taylor’s post-Stones solo career, beginning with 1979’s Mick Taylor. But that’s another story... g
Ex. 10c
Gtr.2 (Rhy. Fig.1)
D5
(Dm7) N.C.
= ca. 75
w/Double-time feel
W/Rhy. Fig. 1
(Dm7) N.C.
4 4 4 4 Gtr.1
3
T A B
15
(15)
1
15
13
2
14
*
13
1
T A B
*Hold C for three more beats.
48 | February 2013 | GUITAR PLAYER VAULT
3
13 15 15
1
4
12
15 12(12)
1
**
**Hold E for four more beats.
Cl i ckor Sear ch i Tunesf or Tr ueFi r e
lessons mick taylor Ex. 10d
= ca. 75
w/Double-time feel
(Dm7) N.C.
( ) ( ) ()() 2 4 3
1
10 13
T A B
1
10
3
Play four times
3
B
13
B1/4
(15)
13(13)10
grad. B1/4
10 13
10
grad. B1/4
10 13
10
grad. B1/4
10 13
10
10
1
*preB
R
(14)
12 10
3
**
12
10
Ex. 10e
= ca. 75
w/Double-time feel
SlidE guiTar livE wiTh ThE rolling STonES in 1972.
*Play six times
(1)
**
() () ( ) () ( ) 4 4 3
SEE Mick Taylor playing grEaT
(Dm7) N.C. 4
( )( )
1
1
3
let ring - - - - - - - - hold B---------------R
T A B
12
(14)
13
10
13
(14)12 10
1
2
3
1
12
10
(10) (10) 12
10 11 12
(10) 10
3 3
(10) 12 10 12 12 10 11 12
*Add parenthesized A’s fifth and sixth time only.
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6th time only - - -
etc.
(12) 10 (12) 10
**Upstemmed part notated to right of / in TAB.
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transcriptions glen hans
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sard
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transcriptions hansard
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transcriptions neon tree
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es
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transcriptions neon trees
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transcriptions
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transcriptions neon trees
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transcriptions
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transcriptions drowning
64 | February 2013 | GUITAR PLAYER VAULT
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g pool
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transcriptions drowning pool
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Used by Permission of ALFRED MUSIC PUBLISHING CO., INC.
transcriptions
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transcriptions drowning pool
68 | February 2013 | GUITAR PLAYER VAULT
Used by Permission of ALFRED MUSIC PUBLISHING CO., INC.
transcriptions
Used by Permission of ALFRED MUSIC PUBLISHING CO., INC.
GUITAR PLAYER VAULT | February 2013 | 69
transcriptions drowning pool
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